I have had several students ask lately about stretching. If your muscles feel tight after dancing or you just want to increase your range of motion with certain bellydance movements, then stretching is the key. But you have to be consistant and patient. Below are some tips for stretching:

1) Always "warm up" before doing any physical activity. Warming up doesn't mean deep stretches; it means to warm the muscles up by getting your heart rate up. You can do this by doing large, gentle movements that lubricate the joints.

2) Stretches are best done after a workout, when your muscles are their most warm and pliable. This is usually called a "cool down." Don't ever skip a cool down, even if it's just five minutes of stretches.

3) Stretch EVERYDAY. Focus on the muscle groups that you want to gain range of motion in.

4) Hold the stretches for at least 30 seconds each.

5) Breathe deep as you stretch and try to relax.

6) Drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep.

7) If you experience sore muscles after a workout, up your potassium intake by eating extra bananas and spinach.

8) You must have patience and discipline when trying to improve your flexibility. Also, just practicing the actual bellydance movements you want to gain further range of motion in will help, too.

9) Don't ever push past a comfortable stretching point - over time your muscles will loosen up. It's best to always practice both dance movements and stretches by following through the complete motion with proper technique.

10) Don't know what kinds of stretches to do? Try to remember what we do in class and do those stretches. In order to better remember the stretches, take notes during class if you need to. Buy a DVD to learn stretches for dancers. Here are some recommendations:

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"Sa'diyya is one of the top belly dance artists in Texas. I have always admired her artistic expression. I think she is extremely talented technically as well as emotionally. I always look forward to seeing her perform!"